


I'll Try Giving Up (But maybe you won't let me?)

by ALTsvtsector123



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, My First Fanfic, My First Work in This Fandom, i don't even know if you can call this angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2020-09-03 15:09:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 13,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20268253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ALTsvtsector123/pseuds/ALTsvtsector123
Summary: Basically, Jihoon is whipped for Mingyu, who has a crush on Wonwoo, who doesn't have any romantic feelings for anyone in their group. And Jihoon's trying to give up on his feelings, but Mingyu just won't leave him be.I'm terrible at summaries :'(Read the book to find out more? \(^~^')/





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well... This is my first time writing something like this.
> 
> I'm a fan of Seventeen's songs and of course, a fan of this group who never fails to make me laugh and cry. And although I know it might not be real (and that they might all be straight), I ship Jigyu -- the smol tol ship. So, here I am, making a fanfic about them.
> 
> ENJOY!!! \\(^O^)/

Jihoon had always known that his love was a fruitless one. There would be nothing he could do to make the person he loves love him back. After all, the said person was already hopelessly whipped for another. All he could do was watch. And feel his heart get crushed as he observes the person he loves look tenderly at another. 

There was a reason why crushes were named as such, he supposed.

“Woozi, what’re you thinking about?” Soonyoung asked him. He wiggled his eyebrows cheekily. “Or is it a who?” 

Jihoon’s immediate reaction, of course, was to slap his friend’s face with the thin stack of music scores he was holding. That made Soonyoung pout and sulk, as he rubbed his nose gingerly. “Geez, you’re too violent! What’d you do if you broke my precious nose?” he whined, making Jihoon roll his eyes. Soonyoung was always too dramatic.

Soonyoung continued chattering as Jihoon looked through the new song he’d made. “Hmm… Hoshi. I think the song’s quite good. I’ll make a few changes to the tune here, to make it slightly catchier. And I think you should scrap the lyrics for this part. Change it to something else.” “Okie dokie! Thanks, Jihoonie!” Soonyoung all but shouted at him, grinning as he stood up and made his way out of Jihoon’s studio.

However, he suddenly paused right before the door, and turned to look at Jihoon. Jihoon raised an eyebrow. What happened? To make the weirdo of his friend stop his cheerful mood and look so solemnly at him, something very serious should’ve happened.

Soonyoung hesitantly opened his mouth. Then, he closed it. And soon, he was opening and closing his mouth repeatedly, like a fish out of water. That made Jihoon’s patience run thin.

“Just say what you want to say,” he snapped. Unfortunately, that just made Soonyoung’s mouth snap shut. He then reluctantly opened it again, and this time, fortunately for Jihoon, he spoke. “Jihoonie… We’re friends right? You know you can tell me anything? Everything?” he asked quietly. So unlike Soonyoung. Jihoon smiled and chuckled. “Of course, you idiot.” Soonyoung stared at him, brows scrunched up as he thought about whatever he was thinking about. “I mean it, you know. You can tell me what’s on your mind sometimes. I know how hard it is, feeling like the group’s success is on your shoulders. And…” He paused. “I think you deserve to get at least one piece of happiness, for all you’ve done for the group.”

Jihoon felt the colour drain out of his face. “What… What are you talking about?” he stuttered, forcing a laugh. 

Soonyoung frowned. “I see it, you know. The way you look at him.” Jihoon turned even paler, if that was possible. “Did you really think you could hide it from your best friend?” Soonyoung asked sadly. 

Jihoon looked down at his hands. He didn’t want anyone to notice. He thought and hoped that no one would. He didn’t want them to unnecessarily worry for him. He didn’t want to cause trouble in the group. Not when they’re at the peak of their success.

Soonyoung sighed. “You don’t have to be so scared of confessing. He likes you, you know.”  _ But not in the way I like him _ … Jihoon thought bitterly.

When he didn’t reply, Soonyoung gave him one last pitiful glance and sighed. Then, he was out the door, leaving Jihoon alone in his dark studio, his thoughts turbulent in his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter ><  
(Sorry if the chapter's short, but I just can't seem to write long paragraphs...)
> 
> EnJOy!!!

“Hyung?” A deep voice asked, snapping Jihoon out of his dreams. He had unconsciously fallen asleep after Soonyoung left. He rubbed his eyes groggily as a figure entered his studio. “Hyung,” the person said.

Jihoon’s face paled as he remembered his conversation with Soonyoung. And now, speak of the devil, the said person was here.

“What do you want, Mingyu?” he asked grumpily, putting on his cold facade. He’ll never let Mingyu know of his feelings for him. Not in this lifetime. Never.

“Ah, I just wanted to ask if you’re coming back to our room. You have to sleep too, you know,” Mingyu said as he came closer to Jihoon and started stroking his hair in a caring manner.

Jihoon felt his ears heat up and abruptly pushed Mingyu’s hand away. “Yah! Stop doing that. You know I don’t like skinship.” Mingyu pouted, but listened to him anyways, stopping his actions. “So?” he asked. Jihoon sighed. “Alright, I’ll be going. Just let me finish this up first.” 

Mingyu beamed. It wasn’t easy to convince Jihoon to get some rest so he’s happy that his small hyung was willing to listen to him for once.

When Jihoon was done doing what he needed to do, he walked out of his studio, only to find out that Mingyu had waited for him. “Hyung! Let’s go back together! I made some food too, if you’re hungry. It’s in the fridge.” Jihoon just nodded and Mingyu continued filling in the silence as they walked back to their shared room.

The room that Jihoon always dreaded to go back to, as it meant he’d be stuck alone with Mingyu, the person he loves.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the third chapter \\(^V^)/
> 
> Hope you're all enjoying the story so far!
> 
> Enjoy!!! \\(^w^)/

Jihoon really didn’t understand. How did he fall so deep for that giant tree of his bandmate? Why Mingyu? Why not someone else? Why him, of all people? He sighed. He’d never understand his own stupid heart.

Jihoon watched as Mingyu cuddled Wonwoo on the couch, and his heart hurt. He was aware that Wonwoo was oblivious to Mingyu’s oh-so-obvious feelings and only saw the younger as a friend, as a brother. But he still couldn’t stop the wave of jealousy that washed over him. 

He sighed again. What right did he have to be jealous of Wonwoo if he’s the one making Mingyu happy? He should really give up after all… With one last glance at the oversized puppy of the group, he turned away, going back to concentrating on whatever Seungcheol and Soonyoung were talking about.

He didn’t notice that Mingyu’s eyes slid to where he was, talking and laughing with the other leaders. He didn’t notice Mingyu’s frown and that Mingyu had let Wonwoo go back to his room to play games. And he definitely didn’t notice that Mingyu was soon behind him.

“Hyung, Woozi hyung,” Mingyu said. Jihoon felt Mingyu’s hot breath at his neck and before he could stop himself, he raised his head, hitting Mingyu’s face in the process. “Oh gosh! Sorry, Mingyu! You okay?” he asked worriedly, ignoring the sound of laughter coming from Seungcheol and Soonyoung. And also ignoring the way his face immediately flushed when he realised their close proximity. Mingyu just nodded, his mouth in a pout. Jihoon nodded in return, and then continued back to having the leaders’ discussion, hoping that his face has turned back to its original pale colour. 

That is, until Mingyu whined his name again.

“What do you want?” Jihoon asked, now irritated. Couldn’t Mingyu see that he was having a very important talk right now? Mingyu frowned, and then showed him his puppy dog eyes. “Hyung, wanna go eat some ramen with me? It’s almost dinner time.” Jihoon raised an eyebrow. “You can just cook for us here. What will the others eat?” “Someone else can cook. And maybe Jun hyung will order take-out,” Mingyu retorted. Jihoon sighed. 

He was trying to give up on him and now, he’s suddenly inviting him out? He can’t accept it. It’ll hurt too much. “Look, I’m busy, Mingyu-ah. Go eat with someone else. Maybe with Wonwoo?” Jihoon smiled slightly, hoping that it didn’t look fake and that it’d make Mingyu leave him once and for all. That made Mingyu frown even more. 

“You… You don’t want to eat with me?” he asked, hurt visibly etched on his features. Jihoon shook his head. “No! I mean, I have other things to do, so I’ll be eating dinner later. That’s why, if you want to eat now, then go with someone else.” 

Mingyu looked at Jihoon with an expression that Jihoon couldn’t understand. “Fine.” he said, sulking, and he stomped back to their shared room.

That made Jihoon confused. What had happened for him to be in a foul mood? But he shook the thought away. He shouldn’t worry for Mingyu too much. After all, he already had a huge space in his mind and heart for that guy. He didn’t need and definitely can’t afford to be distracted by him any more than he already was.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! Here's the fourth chapter \\(^~^')/

Mingyu didn’t like this feeling. He didn’t understand it.

He was aware that his small hyung was avoiding him for some time now, opting to hang out more with Soonyoung and Seungcheol. And he didn’t like it one bit. He didn’t know why though. Perhaps it was because Jihoon was his favourite hyung, with the exception of Wonwoo of course, and he just wanted to spend more time with him. 

But now, looking at Jihoon with Soonyoung and watching him laughing as Soonyoung said another one of his jokes, he felt his heart clench in pain.

Maybe he was jealous? He shook his head. _ Woozi hyung is like a brother to me, _ he thought. 

But yes, he had to admit. Maybe he was jealous. Jealous that as they were growing apart, Jihoon was getting closer to the other members. He knew it was selfish, but it had been so long since he’d had a one-on-one time with his hyung. 

So, he did what he could to hang out with Jihoon. And now, he was stuck in his room, trying to come up with lyrics for a song he wanted to write. After all, the best way to meet up with Jihoon was to ask him about a song.

“Mingyu? What are you doing?” He heard Wonwoo’s deep voice ask. He jolted up from his seat, causing the chair to topple onto the floor with a loud crash and internally cursing himself that he was so clumsy with his crush in the room. Wonwoo paid him no mind though. A clumsy Mingyu was a normal Mingyu. 

Mingyu stared blankly at Wonwoo’s face, until he realised he still hadn’t answered his question. “Oh, I was just thinking of some lyrics,” he said sheepishly, one hand scratching his ear.

That peaked Wonwoo’s interest, and he leaned forward, trying to get a glimpse of what Mingyu had written.

“Ah no! You can’t see it! It’s a secret!” Mingyu yelled into his ear, quickly covering the piece of paper with his hands. Wonwoo covered his ears. “Fine, just stop shouting already. You’re too loud.” He said, as nonchalant as ever. Then, he shrugged and left the room, giving Mingyu space to breathe.

Hours later, Mingyu felt tears of relief in his eyes as he painstakingly wrote the last sentence to his song. Finally… He could finally go to Jihoon and show him the song. He would finally be able to talk with his hyung without any disruptions. With that thought in mind, he happily went to Jihoon’s studio.

Once he reached, he knocked on the door fervently. “Jihoonie hyung! Are you there?” he asked in his usual loud tone. He heard a crash and then, the door opened to reveal Jihoon all rumpled, hair in a mess. Mingyu unconsciously knitted his brows. “What happened, hyung?” he asked curiously. Jihoon’s ears turned scarlet, a sign that he was embarrassed, as he replied hastily, “Nothing.”

With that, Jihoon went back into his studio, turning only once to gesture to Mingyu to enter as well.

Mingyu wasn’t ready to see the state the studio was in. “What happened here?” he exclaimed in surprise. Papers were strewn all across the floor, and there was absolutely no space at all, the only exception being around Jihoon’s computer. He knew that his hyung was messy and didn’t like cleaning up, but this was too extreme even for him. “Yah! You’re too loud,” Jihoon grumbled, as he pushed aside some things so they could sit down. Mingyu shook his head. “Hyung! We’re not starting till you clean this place up.” Jihoon looked at him, with an expression that said ‘Are you serious?’. Then, he sighed and reluctantly muttered in agreement. Mingyu smiled fondly at his tiny hyung. He pushed his sleeves up.

“Let’s start!”

An hour later, Jihoon’s studio was back to its initial tidy and clean state. Mingyu and Jihoon collapsed together, backs supporting each other. Mingyu looked back at his hyung and grinned, canine teeth showing. To his surprise, Jihoon smiled at him too, cheeks dusted with pink, in which he assumed must have been from the tiring clean-up (though naturally, it was Mingyu who did most of the work). It was the first time Mingyu had seen his hyung smile at him in weeks, he realised. But then, Jihoon turned away suddenly, and stood up. That action caused Mingyu’s heart to clench in pain again. But he didn’t know why. 

So, he ignored it and took out the piece of paper in his pocket. He gave it to Jihoon.

“Hyung! Look at my song now! I mean, it’s just the lyrics but I was hoping you could look over it. And if you don’t mind, could you compose a tune for it?” Mingyu asked, eyes twinkling in excitement as he anticipated Jihoon’s reaction.

Jihoon looked at it, and he felt his heart sink. “Is this a… Love song?” he asked Mingyu. Mingyu nodded happily. _ Oh. I see _ , Jihoon thought. _ It’s probably for Wonwoo. _“Eh?” Mingyu asked, his face as red as a tomato. Jihoon raised an eyebrow, confused. 

Then, he realised. He probably said that out loud, didn’t he?

Jihoon just chuckled as he joked, “Isn’t it? It’s really obvious you know. Your feelings for him.” _ After all, you see him with the eyes that I also have when I look at you, _he thought melancholically. Mingyu’s face turned even redder as he sputtered, trying to get words out. Trying to argue, but he realised he couldn’t. 

He deflated and visibly slumped. Then, he felt a small hand patting his head. He looked up to see his hyung smiling gently as he ruffled his hair. “It’s okay, Minggu. I won’t tell anyone else,” Jihoon said, though he presumed almost everyone in the group knew about it. That is, except for Mingyu’s crush himself. 

As he was thinking, he felt a pair of strong arms circle around him, pulling him closer. He yelped in surprise. “Oi! What’re you doing?” he asked Mingyu, who was now hugging him. His ears turned pink once again as he realised he was almost completely on Mingyu’s lap.

“Please, hyung… Let’s stay like this for a while…” Mingyu breathed out. Jihoon opened his mouth to retort. There’s no way he could stay like that! His heart was about to burst out of his chest.

But then, he felt something wet on his shirt and he felt Mingyu trembling. Realisation dawned on him. 

Mingyu, always cheerful Mingyu, was crying.

So, before he could have second thoughts, Jihoon put his arms around Mingyu, awkwardly patting his back in hopes that he’d stop crying. Soon, Mingyu’s sobs went quiet. Jihoon took that as his cue to move away. Thankfully, Mingyu let him.

Jihoon stared at Mingyu’s puffy red eyes worriedly. Seriously, what had happened to him that he’s become so emotional?

“Hey… Mingyu, you okay?” he asked, hoping it didn’t sound too casual. He truly was worried, and he didn’t want Mingyu to think that he was insincere. 

Mingyu looked up and smiled. “Yeah… It’s just…” He paused. He smiled again, brighter yet sadder this time. “It’s been long since we’ve actually had time just the two of us, you know?” 

Jihoon looked at him, internally panicking. Mingyu hadn’t noticed that he was avoiding him did he? “I actually thought that maybe you were… Avoiding me.” Mingyu murmured. Then, he looked up, his gaze piercing Jihoon’s eyes. “That’s not the case, right hyung?” he asked desperately, his forehead creased.

Jihoon forced a laugh, hoping that Mingyu didn’t notice the way his face turned deathly pale at how close he had come to the truth. 

“Now you’re just being paranoid Mingyu-ah. I was just very busy. That’s all,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “You do know we’re having a comeback soon, right? It’s hard to keep track of what I need to do.” He looked back into Mingyu’s eyes. “Sorry if it seemed like I’ve been avoiding you…”

That was it. Mingyu’s eyes started to tear up again and he sobbed uncontrollably, making Jihoon even more flustered. What the h*ll was he supposed to do now? “Yah! Stop crying already, you aren’t that young anymore you know,” Jihoon muttered. Mingyu quieted down immediately. “Sorry, hyung… It’s just… I’m just really relieved that you don’t hate me.” He smiled. Jihoon stared at him, dumbfounded. That guy actually thought Jihoon hated him? _ It’s the exact opposite. _ He sighed and put on one of his genuine smiles. 

“I could never hate you, Minggu-ah,” he said softly. That was the truth.

No matter how annoying Mingyu might act towards him, no matter how clumsy Mingyu was, no matter the flaws he had, Jihoon would never have the heart to hate him. It was an impossible thing.

Mingyu started tearing up again, but he wiped his tears as he smiled and said, “Hyung! Let’s go eat dinner together today then!” Jihoon nodded, albeit reluctantly, hoping that this will at least ensure that Mingyu won’t have such negative thoughts again.

As they were walking towards their favourite ramen shop, Jihoon started wondering again why and how he had fallen for a huge crybaby like Kim Mingyu.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you'll enjoy this chapter!
> 
> Sorry if it's short...

“Hyung… Wonwoo hyung ignored me again…” Mingyu whined to Jihoon, unaware of Jihoon’s heart breaking.

Ever since they’ve started talking again, Mingyu would always come to Jihoon to talk about his problems with Wonwoo.

Jihoon merely sighed and told him that it’s normal for Wonwoo to behave like that. Jeon Wonwoo wasn’t that sociable of a guy, after all. Mingyu just pouted and nodded, while he continued to sulk in the corner of their room.

And this got Jihoon thinking… Why did he fall for a guy who hurts him so much?

Then, he didn’t know why, but he felt something wet on his cheeks. He wiped it, wondering why the h*ll he was sweating in the cold air-conditioned room.

His face paled. He was crying. He was actually freaking crying.  _ Why? _

“Hyung?” Mingyu asked, confused, as he quickly made his way to wherever his feet were taking him. There was no way he’d let Mingyu see him like this. Not when he had already painstakingly hidden his feelings for him.

“Hyung!” He heard Mingyu’s worried voice shout for him as he locked the door to his studio.

Jihoon collapsed on his seat. 

Why was he crying now? After all these years, shouldn’t he be stronger? He shouldn’t be crying. He should be used to the painful feeling already.

Then, he sat up, suddenly aware of the presence right beside him. 

“Hoshi?” Jihoon asked, his brows furrowed. “What’re you doing here?” He was sure he locked the door last time he left. Soonyoung just grinned at him mischievously.

“My best friend instincts were telling me that you needed me. So, I came here. But you weren’t here yet. You know, I was thinking you weren’t going to —” He was cut off by Jihoon.

Jihoon was hugging him. Tightly. And he was trembling, sobbing.

Soonyoung patted the small boy’s back pitifully. 

He knew what Jihoon was going through. He knew that those small shoulders carried lots of burden. He knew that Jihoon would always work the hardest to produce the best songs for them, and he was well aware that he’d blame himself if they didn’t get top in the charts. 

And of course, he knew of Jihoon’s somewhat hopeless crush on the giant puppy of their group.

He continued to pat Jihoon’s back, gently coaxing him to sleep somehow. Something to help him.

To his disbelief, it worked and soon, Jihoon was lying peacefully on the couch, in dreamland. Soonyoung smiled and chuckled at how cute Jihoon looked like that. 

Then, he heard a knock on the door, followed by a small ‘Hyung?’. He sighed. Kim Mingyu had arrived.

Soonyoung opened the door.

“Ah! Mingyu, what’re you doing here?” Soonyoung chirped, purposely pretending that he didn’t know that Mingyu had probably run all over the place in search for his tiny hyung. “Hoshi, where’s Woozi hyung?” Mingyu panted out. 

“Geez, not even going to call me hyung?” Soonyoung asked sarcastically. But then, he noticed Mingyu’s really worried expression and sighed. “He’s on the couch.” Mingyu nodded quickly and was about to say his thanks but Soonyoung interrupted him. “Don’t be too loud though. He’s sleeping.” Mingyu immediately zipped his mouth and bowed. 

However, before he could make his way to Jihoon, Soonyoung called him. “Yes, hyung?” he replied, innocent eyes looking at Soonyoung. Soonyoung sighed.  _ He doesn’t even know what he’s doing to him. _ He eyed him warily. “Don’t hurt him too much, okay?” 

Before Mingyu could reply to him or ask his hyung what he meant, Soonyoung left the two alone, hoping that Jihoon wouldn’t kill him for trying to help him work things out with his crush.


	6. Chapter 6

_ Don’t hurt him too much, okay? _ Those words were stuck on Mingyu’s mind. What did Soonyoung mean by that? Hurt who? Jihoon hyung?  _ But why would he be hurting because of me?  _ Mingyu thought. He sighed. He really didn’t understand.

He looked at Jihoon, who was dozing off on the couch with a small smile on his face. Mingyu smiled at that.  _ He must be having a good dream,  _ he thought, but after some time, his smile fell.

For the first time in weeks, he noticed the dark rings under his hyung eyes. And he noticed that Jihoon’s eyes were red and puffy. Like he had just been crying.

Mingyu recalled the incident in their room.

He was just complaining about Wonwoo’s lack of affection to Jihoon, when suddenly, Jihoon stood up and left in a hurry. He didn’t know why. And he was worried. So, he had left his room, searching for Jihoon.

He thought that he had seen something wet on Jihoon’s cheeks. But he thought that he should have seen wrongly. Jihoon never cried. He rarely cried. At least, not in front of others.

He could count the times that he’d seen Jihoon cry on one hand. 

He only remembered that the first time he saw Jihoon cry was when he talked about his burdens, and the second time being when they won their first award. The start of Seventeen’s success.

But other than that, Jihoon never cried. If something had caused him to cry… It must be serious…

That just made Mingyu worry even more.

“Hyung…” he muttered to himself. “What can I do for you to open up to me, just like before?” he asked to no one in particular.

Unconsciously, Mingyu fell asleep as well, his head rested against the couch, and his hand clutching Jihoon’s.

Unbeknownst to him, Jihoon was listening to every word he said.

Jihoon’s heart clenched in pain when he heard Mingyu’s tired voice. And that was the moment when he resolved to give up on Mingyu, once and for all. He’ll only treat him as a friend, as a brother. That way, Mingyu wouldn’t get hurt by his stupid actions, and he’d be able to listen to Mingyu’s talks about Wonwoo when he needed him. 

He wouldn’t let his stupid, futile feelings break off their long-time friendship.

Jihoon clutched Mingyu’s hand even harder.

This time would be the last. 

The last time he’ll see Mingyu in a way he shouldn’t see him. He’ll erase his feelings for the giant.

And maybe, just this once, with their hands connected, Jihoon could finally feel like Mingyu was his.

_ Just this once, let me love you for the last time, _ Jihoon thought, as he drifted back to dreamland.


	7. Chapter 7

Mingyu woke up with his back aching. Where was he? He rubbed his eyes groggily as he looked around the room.

Piano, music sheets and a computer. He was in Jihoon’s studio.

Then, in a huge flashback, he remembered yesterday’s incident. Jihoon. Crying.

“Hyung! Where are —” He started, only to be cut off by Jihoon himself.

“Shut your mouth, Kim Mingyu. You’re too loud,” Jihoon said, entering the studio with two cups of coffee in his hands. He handed one to Mingyu, who accepted it blankly.

A large smile bloomed on his face as he smelled the delicious aroma of coffee. Coffee that his hyung has actually made for him. But then, realisation dawned on him.

“Wait, hyung! You can’t distract me with a cup of coffee! I wanted to ask why you were crying yesterday. And I wanted to know if I did anything wrong. Did I do anything to make you —” Mingyu rambled on and on, until he felt his forehead sting. He looked at Jihoon. He had flicked his forehead.

“Hyung… What’d you do that for?” Mingyu groaned. Jihoon merely rolled his eyes. “Who said I was crying?” “But—” “Mingyu, please… Just forget about yesterday, okay?” Mingyu stared at his hyung, slack-jawed. How could he forget the time Jihoon cried in front of him, looking so vulnerable? How could he forget the incident when his hyung was hurt? There was no way he could.

But then, he saw an unreadable expression on Jihoon’s face. A mixture of sadness, frustration and so many more emotions battling one another. 

Mingyu reluctantly nodded.

Then, Jihoon smiled at him. He got off his seat, and walked to the door. He looked back at Mingyu, tilting his head. “Hurry, it’s almost breakfast time. Coups will be mad if we’re late for the group breakfast. Let’s go.”

Mingyu stood up as quick as lightning and soon, he was with Jihoon, walking to the dining area while sipping their coffee.

Before they entered the dining room, Jihoon tugged on Mingyu’s shirt. “Yes, hyung?” Mingyu asked. Jihoon looked up at him and ears turning pink, he mumbled hastily, “Thanks, Minggu. For being there for me.” Then, they both entered the room.

Mingyu grinned at the use of the affectionate nickname as he took his seat beside Wonwoo, completely unaware that that would be the last time Jihoon would call him that.


	8. Chapter 8

After contemplating on it for weeks, Jihoon finally told Soonyoung about his plan to give up on Mingyu. Which, of course, was a terrible idea.

“Seriously?” Soonyoung hollered. Jihoon pinched the bridge of his nose as Soonyoung looked at him with wide shocked eyes. The whole world was going to hear him. “You’re really giving up on Mingyu? After…” He scrunched his face in concentration. “How long have you liked him, again?”

Jihoon sighed and replied, “Ever since our trainee years.” Soonyoung turned to him, mouth wide open. “Really? That’s ridiculously long!” He looked at Jihoon with sad eyes. “Are you sure about this, Woozi?” he asked, worry lacing his words. Jihoon nodded his head, determined.

“It’s exactly as you said,” he said. “It’s been too long. These feelings should be going away already. But as you can see, they’re not going away anytime soon.” Soonyoung wanted to interject, but Jihoon continued on. “So, I’m going to give up. Little by little. It’s for the best.”

_ The best for who? _ Soonyoung thought, and he sighed. There was no way to change Jihoon’s mind. He’d already made his decision.

“Okay then. But… How do you plan on doing it?” Soonyoung asked curiously. Did Jihoon have a great master plan to forget his feelings for the lovable puppy of the group who was Kim Mingyu?

Jihoon paused at that.

Then, he looked up at Soonyoung, with a grin that could rival the Cheshire Cat’s. 

“Well, I was hoping that you could help me out with that.”

Thus, here they were now, in Soonyoung’s shared room with Hansol.

Unfortunately, Hansol was there too, and they had to explain to him about Jihoon’s dilemma, to Jihoon’s huge embarrassment. He had hoped not to tell anyone else about his feelings to Mingyu.

But Hansol only nodded in understanding, as if he had known about it.

“You could be more surprised at this whole thing, you know,” Jihoon muttered under his breath. Hansol chuckled, replying like a smart alec, “It’s actually quite obvious, hyung.” 

Jihoon almost choked on his saliva.  _ Obvious? _ he thought. He was sure he’d done well to hide his feelings, keeping a poker face every time Mingyu was around him.

Soonyoung laughed at his misery as he asked Hansol, “How so?” 

“Well… You sometimes play favouritism, and you don’t get angry at Mingyu hyung as much as you do with the rest of us. You even…” Hansol continued on with a long list of things that showed Jihoon’s obvious affection for the younger — buying him treats, taking care of him when he’s sick (of course, Jihoon retorted that any bandmate would do that), not getting mad at him even though he got his lines wrong during recording, and many more. “Fine… Shut up already, Hansol Chwe,” Jihoon said, face as red as the shirt he was wearing. Which was certainly very red. 

_ If even Hansol, who daydreams a lot, knows about his feelings for Mingyu, then… What about the rest of the team? _

Soonyoung cooed. “Aww, is our little baby Jihoonie embarrassed? You’re so cute!” Soonyoung was pinching his cheeks now, to his annoyance. Jihoon was about to snap, and wanted to push Soonyoung’s hands away. They were the same age for goodness sake!

However, before he could do just that, the door opened to reveal Mingyu, who was calling out a small ‘Hyung?’.


	9. Chapter 9

Mingyu stared at the scene in front of him, at a loss for words. He didn’t know what to make out of it.

Jihoon and Soonyoung were on the bed, with Soonyoung almost on top of Jihoon. Jihoon was holding onto Soonyoung’s arms, maybe trying to stop him from pinching his cheeks, but to no avail. But that didn’t even cross Mingyu’s mind; to him, it looked like Jihoon was pulling Soonyoung closer.

The fact that Jihoon’s face was a deep crimson red didn’t help the situation either.

Mingyu opened his mouth, and his voice cracked when he spoke hurriedly, “Ah, sorry hyung, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” He was about to close the door when he heard Soonyoung’s groan of pain. He peeked into the room again, and he saw Soonyoung on the floor now, clutching his tummy. “Jihoonie! Why’d you kick me?” he whined, his hand on top of his heart in mock-hurt.

But Jihoon didn’t answer, he only walked out the door and pulled Mingyu back to their shared room, hence leaving Soonyoung groaning in pain on the floor. Hansol was only watching quietly at the sidelines, in amusement.

When the door to their room closed, Jihoon was the first one to break the awkward silence between them.

He ran a hand through his hair as he asked, “What did you want, Mingyu?”

_ He didn’t call me Minggu.  _ Mingyu thought suddenly.

He then frowned. He hadn’t realised it just yet, but now that he thought about it, exactly how long had it been since Jihoon called him that? Okay, maybe it had only been 2 days since Jihoon cried and last called him ‘Minggu’, but to him, it felt like a whole week has passed. He didn’t know why.

“Oi, Mingyu. Are you even listening?” Jihoon asked, snapping him out of his stupor. He was probably overthinking the situation, as always. “Ah hyung, what did you say again?” he asked sheepishly, fiddling with his sweaty palms behind his back. He didn’t understand why he was still irked with Jihoon not calling him by his nickname. And irked by having to see Soonyoung and Jihoon’s public display of affection. Not that he’d ever say that out loud. 

After all, he was completely sure that his feelings for Jihoon was only that of a brother. Maybe even a mother — Jihoon was like a kid you can’t help but want to take care of.

Jihoon just sighed and repeated, “Is it about your song?”

Mingyu looked at him, confused. What were they talking about again? Then, he remembered. Yes, he had wanted to ask Jihoon about his song.

Mingyu nodded immediately. “Did you make a tune for it already, hyung?” he asked, excited. Jihoon’s songs never failed to amaze him. The beats were always so catchy; the songs would be stuck in your head all day.

Sadly, Jihoon shook his head. He hadn’t had the time to compose a song for Mingyu yet. Not with everything going on in his life.

Mingyu’s expression visibly dropped, and you could see his imaginary ears and tail droop down in disappointment. He was hoping his hyung would be able to allocate time to help him with his song. But he understood that Jihoon was busy.

Looking at Mingyu’s sullen expression, Jihoon sighed. He’s going to regret what he’ll be doing.

Jihoon patted Mingyu’s back, and said, “Hey, Mingyu. Why don’t we make the song now then? You could help out too. I could use your opinion. And we’ll most probably at least finish the intro before our schedule tomorrow morning.” Mingyu looked at his hyung, a joyous expression on his face. “Really? Can we?” he asked, eyes twinkling with joy. Jihoon nodded.

“Yay! Thanks hyung!” Mingyu shouted, picking up his hyung and swinging him round and round. Like a little kid. And of course, Jihoon hated being treated like one.

“Yah! Let me down, you idiotic beanpole,” Jihoon yelled grumpily, ears turning red as he felt Mingyu’s hands on his sides. Mingyu put his hyung down while patting his head affectionately and soon, they were walking to Jihoon’s studio.

He really can’t ever say no to Mingyu. Jihoon sighed in frustration.

He seriously needed to hurry and give up on his bandmate.


	10. Chapter 10

“What about this, Mingyu?” Jihoon asked as he lent the giant his headphones and played the start of the new song. Mingyu bopped his head as he listened to it. Amazing! His hyung never ceased to awe him. He voiced that thought aloud, earning a small smile from the older. 

At that moment, Mingyu felt his heart clench. He didn’t understand why, but Jihoon suddenly seemed so unattainable. So far away.

Still, Mingyu shook that thought away as Jihoon continued with the song and before they knew it, it was already the next morning.

~

Soonyoung knocked on the door to Jihoon’s studio, yawning as he entered. “Jihoo—” He was stopped short by what was right in front of his eyes. It was a sight to behold.

Jihoon and Mingyu were both on the couch, Mingyu’s head on top of Jihoon’s. Their fingers were interlaced as they both dozed off, unaware of everything else in the world. It was like they were wrapped in their own personal bubble. Soonyoung stared at Jihoon’s table, seeing a sheet of paper. They were composing Mingyu’ song then, he observed. 

Then, smiling like a proud father, he took out his phone and took a picture of the sight. He chuckled mischievously.  _ Jihoonie’s gonna kill me but love me for this _ .

Unfortunately, there was a flash as he took the picture. He immediately started for the door, hoping that none of the two would have woken up.

And of course, the world was always against him.

“Hoshi hyung?” he heard Mingyu ask, voice laced with the remnants of sleep.  _ Thank goodness it’s Mingyu _ .

Soonyoung turned to Mingyu awkwardly, and exclaimed, “Yeah! It’s your one and only Hoshi the tiger!” He gave a small roar. Mingyu gave him a blank look. 

Feeling perspiration at his temples, Soonyoung pointed at the door. “So yeah, umm… I’ll be leaving now?” He ended his sentence with what seemed like a question mark.

Then, before his dongsaeng could say anything, he left the studio.

But Soonyoung managed to catch something.

When he was leaving, he saw Mingyu regain his senses and snap out of his drowsiness. He saw Mingyu’s small smile as he faced Jihoon, who was still asleep despite the loud noise Soonyoung had probably made. He saw Mingyu clutch Jihoon’s hand even more as he played with Jihoon’s hair with his other hand, and he saw Mingyu nuzzle his nose further into Jihoon’s hair, maybe almost kissing the other’s head.

And as the door came to a close behind him, he was left with anxious thoughts in his head.

Most of them being — how the h*ll was Jihoon going to give up on that overly affectionate guy who acts like a huge koala around the small hyung he deems he loves only as a brother?


	11. Chapter 11

_ “Awww… He’s so cute when he’s asleep!” “I know right! I mean, Woozi hyung is always cute but even more so when he’s sleeping!” “Yeah, so true. And he doesn’t look like the demon he is when we’re recording songs! Oh I know! Let’s take a picture!” “Shh… Don’t talk too loudly, or else he’ll wake up and scold us for calling him cute!”  _

Too late for that. 

Jihoon awoke, wondering where the h*ll he was. He most definitely wasn’t in his studio. 

How did he know that for sure? Well, his studio, for one, did not move. Secondly, there was no way anyone would ever enter his studio when he was sleeping; he didn’t give them permission to do so. Thirdly, this was obviously not his couch. After all, he would recognise the couch he frequently slept on when he was too lazy and scared to go back to his shared room with Mingyu.

To his absolute shock, he opened his eyes only to see four pair of eyes peering down at him. “Gah!” he shouted out in an unmanly manner, jumping up from his seat slightly. “What the h*ll are you all doing?” he asked, irritated. He had shown an embarrassing side of him to the members again.

Seokmin, one of the culprits for almost making Jihoon’s soul leave his body, scratched his nape as he apologised sincerely. “Sorry, hyung. We were just watching you sleep. We couldn’t wake you up, you see. And you were so cu—” He was cut off by Seungkwan (another culprit), who covered Seokmin’s mouth with his hand, muffling whatever he was going to say.

Ignoring that scene, Jihoon proceeded to ask Joshua (third culprit) where they were. “Ah right, you were asleep. We’re going for our fansign now. Remember our schedule?”

That was when Jihoon realised. Yes, he completely forgot about their schedule. He was too engrossed with composing Mingyu’s song.  _ Mingyu, _ he thought. Why didn’t that tree wake him up, for goodness sake?

As if he had read his mind, Jeonghan, the last culprit, smirked as he told Jihoon, “Imagine our surprise when we saw Mingyu carry you here! You looked so small in his arms. Oh, did I tell you? He was carrying you princess-style too.”

Jihoon’s face flushed a deep red. _That idiot!_ _Why the h*ll didn’t he wake me up? _Jihoon thought, cheeks flaming as he envisioned Mingyu carrying him like a baby to the vocal team’s van.

He groaned. He really hated this crush of his.

Jeonghan then smiled, more gently this time, as he comfortingly said, “Jihoonie, don’t blame Mingyu for not waking you up. He wanted you to sleep more.” The others nodded in unison. “We all know you’re not getting enough sleep, hyung! You shouldn’t work yourself hard too much,” Seungkwan nagged. 

Jihoon merely nodded in response, but inside, he was actually touched by their concern. He supposed he was lucky to have such caring members.

“Anyways, Jihoonie,” Jeonghan started. He grinned devilishly as Jihoon looked at him, wary of the sudden change in his tone. 

“How’s your crush on Mingyu?”


	12. Chapter 12

“Sorry I’m late!” Mingyu said in his usual loud tone as he entered the Hip-Hop unit’s van and settled beside Wonwoo. 

Don’t be mistaken though. It wasn’t because of his small crush on the other. It’s just that the seat beside him was the only one left. That’s all.

And of course, Wonwoo, being Wonwoo, only hummed in response and continued listening to his music, not moving an inch.

Mingyu felt slightly disappointed. He had been crushing on the older for a few months already, and even though he didn’t want to admit it, his feelings really were obvious. H*ll, even Jihoon knew about it.

_ Jihoon hyung _. Mingyu’s mind went back to his small hyung, who, by now, was probably still sleeping in his unit’s van. Mingyu had known that there would be a possibility of Jihoon scolding him later on for not waking him up, but he honestly just wanted his hyung to get more rest. He had worked really hard for the group. He deserved to take more rest. They all did.

But being an idol meant packed schedules, and they gladly did it. For their fans, who made them who they are today, and for everyone else who have helped support and encourage them. 

So now, they were on their way for a fansign.

As the van drove off to their destination, Mingyu’s eyelids drooped and soon, he was dozing off.

~

“Oi, Mingyu,” Wonwoo said, as he shook the younger’s shoulders. “Hmm?” Mingyu responded, eyes still closed. “We’re here.”

Mingyu’s eyes opened immediately and Wonwoo’s face was right in front of his. That caused him to recoil backwards, hitting his head on the back of his seat.

Wonwoo suppressed a chuckle at his idiotic dongsaeng’s action. Then, he went out of the van, satisfied that he had woken the younger up. His job was done.

At that time, Mingyu was busy panicking internally. His face was slightly red and his heart was palpitating. _ They were so close _ . He could have kissed him. _ What the h*ll. Idiot! You’re not supposed to think of things like that! _Mingyu thought to himself. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, and with his head cleared of all distractions, he walked out of the van confidently, without his face looking as red as a tomato. At least that's what he hoped.

When Mingyu stepped out of the van, the first thing he saw was his small hyung being smothered by the vocal unit. 

Seokmin was pinching the older’s cheeks while Seungkwan was putting his weight on the older’s back. Jeonghan and Joshua, being the evil twins they were, only snickered at the sight and proceeded to cling themselves on Jihoon’s arms. Jihoon looked like he couldn’t move an inch and his pale ears were a flaming red.

“Yah! Let go! We have to go for the fansign now,” Jihoon yelled at them, struggling to get out of their hold. Jeonghan smirked angelically, if a smirk could ever be angelic. “But you just admitted that to us! There’s no way we’re letting you go until you tell us you’re going to confess.”

_ Confess? _“Confess what?” he asked curiously, his thoughts about Wonwoo forgotten.

The vocal unit froze. They hadn’t realised that Mingyu had come so close to them.

“Oh, Mingyu! Didn’t see you there!” Seokmin exclaimed as he chuckled nervously. Mingyu stared at him suspiciously. They were acting weird…

“Confess what?” he repeated. This time, it was Seungkwan’s turn to chuckle nervously. “Oh nothing, we were just talking about… Umm…” “You see, Mingyu, our dear Jihoonie was telling us about his most embarrassing moment. But he didn’t tell us the whole story, so we want him to confess more about what happened,” Jeonghan spoke, the lie easily coming out of his lips. The others immediately nodded, relieved at Jeonghan’s wit.

Mingyu arched an eyebrow. “Oh, is that so?” He didn’t know why but he still felt like they weren’t telling him everything.

The vocal unit were at a loss for words. How would they convince Mingyu to believe in their lie?

Luckily, Seventeen's leader came to save the day.

“Hey, guys! Hurry up! The fansign’s gonna start soon!” Seungcheol shouted, disrupting the awkward silence between them.

The vocal unit visibly sighed in relief, and without saying anything else to Mingyu, they rushed off to their destination.

However, Mingyu caught Jihoon’s arm before he could go.

“Hyung, what were you guys really talking about?” he asked, his eyes pleading for his hyung to tell him the truth. He didn’t know why, but he felt that he should know.

But Jihoon only shrugged Mingyu’s hand off, and not looking him in the eyes, he replied, “Nothing.”

Then, he was walking towards the building where their fansign would take place.

That action hurt Mingyu more than anything else.


	13. Chapter 13

But of course, Jihoon had to end up beside Mingyu during the fansign. Out of all the different line-ups they could have had, of course he had to end up beside Kim freaking Mingyu.

Why was life so cruel to him?

“Oppa? Are you feeling alright?”

Jihoon snapped out of his thoughts. He shouldn’t be letting their fans worry about him.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied, giving the fan a cute smile. The fan grinned back at him and soon, she was going down the row, to Mingyu.

He sighed in relief as they were allowed to stretch and have a small break. His back was aching. He sure was getting older.

But his heart plummeted down his stomach as he saw the scene in front of his eyes — Mingyu was staring lovingly at Wonwoo, and his eyes were sparkling as he talked about whatever.  _ Mingyu loves Wonwoo _ . That’s how it is and that’s how it’ll always be. 

Wasn’t Jihoon ready for this pain when he finally admitted to himself that he loved Mingyu? After all, one of the things he loved about the giant dork was his huge capacity to love. And all those loving stares were usually directed at Wonwoo. He had known that. Even before he had started paying attention to every single thing the younger did.

So why was he feeling so broken-hearted right now?

Then, Jihoon heard some murmuring from the crowd. He turned his head to face them, raising an eyebrow at the commotion.  _ What happened? _

“Jihoon hyung!” Chan cried out. “Why are you crying?” he asked worriedly. Jihoon tensed as everyone’s attention was directed at him.

“What… I’m not —” Jihoon started, only to stop in his tracks as he felt a slight wetness on his cheeks.  _ Not again _ . He wiped his cheek immediately. He seriously was crying. He was at a loss of words. What the h*ll was he supposed to do now?

“I…” He gulped nervously.  _ Help _ . He internally screamed. He needed someone to help him get out of this mess.

“Okay!” Soonyoung yelled out to the crowd, who by now, was murmuring loudly, a wave of concern washing over them. “Carats! Sorry for the sudden event! But… Umm…” He too didn’t know what else to say. He glanced at the leader for help. Seungcheol nodded subtly.

“Carats, our Jihoonie started crying suddenly, so what should we do?” Seungcheol asked their fans.

“Help him!” “Wipe his tears away!” “Console him! We’ll wait for you!” “Woozi oppa! Gwaenchanha!”

Seventeen was touched at their fans’ responses. 

Then, with a fierce nod at Seungcheol, Soonyoung went to usher Jihoon to the toilet, leaving Seungcheol to continue the fansign and control their fans.


	14. Chapter 14

Mingyu stared at the disappearing backs of Soonyoung and Jihoon worriedly. This was the  _ second  _ time he had seen his hyung cry. In a span of a week. And this definitely meant something was very wrong.

He stood up, wanting to follow them. He wanted to help. To do something instead of just sitting there helplessly. To stop his hyung’s tears. To just  _ be there _ for his hyung.

However, he was stopped by a tug on his shirt.

“Wonwoo hyung?” he asked, curious. Wonwoo shook his head and said, “Sit down, Mingyu.” Mingyu’s face turned red. And not because of his crush on the older. Rather, it was the first time he actually felt mad at the other.  _ Why was he stopping him? _ “But hyung, Woozi hyung is crying! Shouldn’t we — ” “Sit down, Kim Mingyu.”

Mingyu huffed angrily as he sat down on his seat. Why? Why wasn’t he allowed to go to Jihoon? They were good friends. Jihoon was his  _ roommate _ , for goodness sake. And why weren’t the rest as worried as him? Did they not care for Jihoon at all?

But as he stared at the other members’ expressions, he realised that they definitely were worried; they all had anxious frowns on their faces. But they still smiled at their fans.  _ Their fans _ . That’s true, their fans came here for them. They shouldn’t let them down…

He was still worried of course… But if it’s Soonyoung with Jihoon, then he’d be able to help Jihoon the most.  _ Woozi hyung will be fine _ .  _ Please _ .

He breathed out, willing himself to relax.  _ Woozi hyung will be alright _ . 

“Sorry hyung,” Mingyu told Wonwoo as he felt himself regain his senses. Even if he had been allowed to follow the two, what would he have even done? He would have made things worse, considering how strained his and Jihoon’s relationship was now.

Mingyu frowned at that thought. He honestly didn’t know what was happening between them. Did he do something wrong? His hyung seemed so far from him recently. So distant…

He sighed. Didn’t Jihoon already said that he wasn’t avoiding him? His hyung wouldn’t lie. And they truly were busy, with their comeback coming round the corner and all. He shouldn’t doubt his hyung’s words.

“Mingyu, focus on the fansign. Jihoon will be fine,” he heard Seungcheol tell him. So, he nodded.

After all, there wasn’t anything else he could do.

Mingyu didn’t realise the small glance Wonwoo gave him as he turned his head and smiled at the fan in front of him.

  
~

As Wonwoo looked at the man beside him, he felt terrible for Jihoon.

He was acutely aware of the way Jihoon looked at Mingyu. His eyes would always be softer and he looked like he was staring at his whole world. No matter how hard Jihoon thought he was hiding it, Wonwoo  _ knew  _ that the rest of the group already noticed their shortest’s feelings for their tallest.

And of course, Wonwoo was also aware of the way Mingyu looked at  _ him _ . It was the same way Jihoon looked at the younger. And that was why he felt so bad for Jihoon. Because being in love with someone who loves someone else just  _ sucks _ . And it definitely hurt like h*ll.

He hoped he did the right thing stopping Mingyu though. He had felt like Jihoon would appreciate him for it. He didn’t think Jihoon would have wanted to see Mingyu anyways. Not after how much the oblivious idiot had unknowingly hurt him.

And as Wonwoo continued talking to their fans, he felt that he had to do everything he could to get those two together. For their Jihoonie’s happiness.

And besides, he didn’t want Mingyu to be in love with him. Mingyu deserved someone better. Someone who loved him. Someone like Jihoon. Plus, he was sure that Mingyu had slight feelings for the older; he was just being confused with his “crush” on Wonwoo.

Honestly, those two looked so cute together. The height difference, the obvious contrast in their skin colour, the huge difference in their personalities!

They’d better end up together. After all, wasn’t there that famous saying?

_ Opposites attract. _


	15. Chapter 15

Soonyoung stared at his friend anxiously, worry filling his eyes. This was the  _ second _ time Jihoon had cried because of Mingyu. And he honestly didn’t know what to do to help his friend.

“Sorry, Hoshi,” Jihoon muttered as he washed his face over the toilet sink. Thankfully, no one else had been there when they entered. Jihoon didn’t want anyone seeing him like this — eyes puffy , nose red and face streaked with tears.

When Soonyoung didn’t respond, Jihoon turned to face him. And he was shocked at the sight. Soonyoung was a huge mess of snot and tears.

“Why are  _ you  _ crying?” Jihoon asked in a not-so-gentle manner. That was it.

Soonyoung reached out and hugged Jihoon tight. Jihoon flinched at the excessive skinship, but he held onto Soonyoung’s shirt as his friend’s tears dampened his sleeves. 

He sighed. Soonyoung had done a lot for him already; he was always there cheering for his unrequited feelings and was always there when he needed a friend. The least Jihoon could do to repay him was to comfort him.

After a few minutes, Soonyoung pulled away.  _ Finally _ . Jihoon was getting slightly tired from having to hold Soonyoung’s whole weight. Plus, it was good that his friend stopped crying.

“Idiot, you don’t have to be worried,” Jihoon spoke softly. Soonyoung just continued staring at the floor, eyes and nose both red.

“Oi, look at me,” Jihoon said sharply. Soonyoung hesitantly raised his head. He was met with a flick on his forehead for his compliance. “Ow! What was that for?” he hollered out, surprised that his small friend was still so violent during this rare touching moment.

“It’s not your fault, Soonyoung,” Jihoon replied, ignoring Soonyoung’s whining. At least he was feeling better now. “Anyways, we’re fine already right? Let’s go back.”

Soonyoung stared at him worriedly. “Are you sure you’re ready, Jihoonie? He’ll be asking you many questions about this you know…” Jihoon nodded firmly. He was a coward but he wanted to be brave now. At least just this once. 

And besides, they couldn’t leave their fans waiting. Carats have come for Seventeen, to see  _ all  _ of them. He couldn’t possibly let his problems ruin all the hard work and money their fans and organisers have put in for their fansign.

So now, here they were, walking back together to the fansign with Soonyoung lightening the mood with one of his weird acts. 

After all, despite all the problems they were having, one thing that never changed was the fact that Soonyoung and Jihoon were still the best of friends (and the fact that Soonyoung was a weird guy).

~

“And we’re back!” Soonyoung hollered out as he and Jihoon made their way back onto the stage. The Carats cheered happily in reply. The fansign continued smoothly after that, though Jihoon was getting somewhat tired at all the fans repeatedly asking if he was alright.

As the fansign ended and Seventeen took their bows, their managers immediately ushered them to their respective vans. Jihoon was glad about that as it meant he could avoid everyone’s questions till they reached their dorm. Sadly, his vocal team was as noisy as the whole of Seventeen.

He was the last one to reach their van and that meant he was stuck in the middle seat — the perfect seat for interrogation. 

His two dongsaengs immediately pestered him with questions. “Hyung! Are you okay? I was so shocked when Chan said you were crying! Are you feeling better? You should tell us if something’s on your mind, hyung. And—” Seungkwan asked in his normal naggy tone. “Yeah, hyung… It’s rare to see you cry…” Dokyeom continued. “Is it about something private? And—”

“Both of you hush,” Jeonghan interrupted. He then turned his face and looked directly at Jihoon, his eyes softer. “Jihoonie, we won’t pry much. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to tell us,” he said gently. “And if it is about the issue we spoke of just now, just know that we’re always here to support you,” Joshua added.

Jihoon looked at his members. They were all tired, yet they still cared. They  _ care _ . And that’s all that mattered.

“Thank you, guys,” he said softly. “I… Saranghae.”

So yes, the heartfelt moment ended with the vocal unit cooing at their VoBo’s rare confession of his love for them. Plus a group hug, of course.


	16. Chapter 16

“Hyung, we need to talk,” Mingyu said to the small hyung in front of him. Well, to what he hoped was Jihoon anyways. The only thing he could see was a small lump curled up under the blankets at the side of his hyung’s bed.

It was currently 3 a.m in the morning. Everyone else was asleep and he knew it was very likely for Jihoon to be asleep already, especially after crying at the fansign. But he just hoped that Jihoon would be awake because he _needed _to know why the h*ll his hyung cried again. He couldn’t sleep without knowing why.

Unfortunately, the only response he received was silence. “Hyung,” he whined childishly. He didn’t care if he woke a grumpy Jihoon up. He needed to talk to him ASAP.

Jihoon shifted to his side, glaring at the younger, making his already small eyes look even smaller. Mingyu smiled victoriously. But his smile faltered as he felt his hyung’s fiery glare on him. Sh*t. If glares could kill, he’d be dead by now.

“Umm hyung, I really need to talk to you… Please?” he asked quietly, nervously fidgeting with his hands under his covers. He saw Jihoon sweep a hand through his hair. “Look, Mingyu,” Jihoon started, his voice sharp. He paused for a while and when he spoke next, his voice was softer. “Can we talk about it tomorrow? Today was… Tiring. Besides, the both of us won’t have any schedule tomorrow. So we’ll just talk tomorrow, okay? We’ll have the whole day to talk about whatever you want to talk about.”  _ And what I don’t want to talk about at all _ , he thought sadly.

Mingyu’s head drooped guiltily. Jihoon’s voice sounded so strained, so tired. He hated seeing his hyung like that.

“I promise.” Jihoon’s voice snapped him out of his reverie. He rose his head. “Okay, Jihoonie hyung... Thank you,” Mingyu said. “Goodnight, hyung.”

When he didn’t receive a response, he assumed Jihoon was already too tired and had fallen asleep. He laid back on his bed and closed his eyes, trying his best to get the sleep he really needed.

He didn’t hear the soft affectionate ‘Goodnight, babo dongsaeng’ Jihoon whispered.


	17. Chapter 17

_ Okay, I have to do this. I have to stop this. Let this be the absolute last time I see him in that way. I will only be a brother-like friend to him from this time onwards,  _ Jihoon thought determinedly as he stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. 

By the time he woke up, he discovered the others leaving their dorm, all dressed and ready, claiming they had a schedule and wanted to go out to eat together. Without him and Mingyu. 

But from the tiny fleck of guilt he had seen in Soonyoung’s eyes, he knew that they had deliberately left him with his crush alone. He sighed.  _ Of course _ Seventeen wouldn’t be Seventeen if they weren’t so involved in their members’ love life.

“Hyung, breakfast’s ready!” Mingyu’s loud yell called him out of his musings. How could anyone be so energetic and loud at 9 a.m in the morning, he really didn’t understand.

He shuffled towards the living room, bracing himself for the questions Mingyu would ask. Questions he hoped he would be able to answer.

But to his surprise, his usually spontaneous dongsaeng only smiled at him and gestured for him to sit down at the dining table. He sat on the chair reluctantly as Mingyu brought out two plates of huge stacks of pancakes, doused in maple syrup, chocolate chips and whipped cream — the way he liked it.

“Here, hyung! Let’s eat!” Mingyu exclaimed excitedly.

He didn’t need to say anything else.

Soon, Jihoon was stuffing his face with the pancakes. He gave out a sound of appreciation. It was so fluffy! Was this what heaven tastes like? He proceeded to gobble up what was left on his plate, only to stop when he felt a stare on his head. He looked up at Mingyu.

“Hyung, you eat so deliciously. I really love watching you eat…” Mingyu murmured absentmindedly, a small smile on his face. Then, he wiped his thumb on Jihoon’s face to get rid of a spot of whipped cream that had miraculously ended up near his lips. And then he licked it off his thumb.

Jihoon could feel his cheeks heat up. How the h*ll was he supposed to give up on Mingyu when Mingyu wasn’t even aware of the things he did to make Jihoon’s heart flutter uncontrollably?

“Yah! You could have told me there was whipped cream there. I could have eaten it for myself you know,” Jihoon grumbled.  _ Act as per usual. Be normal. _

Mingyu merely flashed him a dazzling smile. Jihoon sighed for the umpteenth time that morning, though he was internally melting. That smile could rival the Sun. 

_ Focus _ .

“Anyways, Mingyu, you said you wanted to talk. So talk. We’ll stop when the others come back, so you’d better hurry,” Jihoon said in an indifferent manner. 

_ Let’s get this whole thing done and over with _ .  _ Let me stop loving you _ , he thought.  _ It’s time _ .

Mingyu stared at Jihoon, an unreadable expression on his face. Jihoon merely continued eating the leftover crumbs of his pancakes, not showing his discomfort at how the younger was drilling holes into his head with his intense stare.

Then, finally, Mingyu spoke.

“Hyung, what am I to you?”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there everyone!  
I'm really sorry that I took so long to update this... I have just finished my first week of exams ToT  
I hope you'll enjoy this chapter  
Thank you to everyone who took time to read this story, I'm really grateful  
I'll continue doing my best! \\(>.<)/

Jihoon felt his throat dry up. 

He wasn’t ready. He would  _ never  _ be ready to tell Mingyu his feelings. And that was why he already felt a lie form at the tip of his tongue.

A babo dongsaeng, he would say. Then, they’d carry out their conversation normally. Comfortably. Just like how a normal pair of dongsaeng and hyung would.

But he already promised to himself, and besides, he owed the truth to Mingyu. 

_ No more lies _ .

He took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his fists. He could feel the palms of his hands turn clammy.

“Mingyu, I…”  _ Love you _ .

The words just wouldn’t come out. His throat felt so constricted. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want their relationship to be broken. Most of all, he just didn’t want to lose Mingyu. Not his dongsaeng who cared so much for him. The one to bring food when he stayed all day in his studio. The one to cuddle him affectionately every time he felt down or just needed a hug. The one he loved the most in the whole world. He didn’t want to lose him.

_ Say it. You’ve got to say it. End this. End everyth— _

“— hyung! Jihoonie hyung!” Mingyu yelled at his face, snapping him out of his thoughts. He looked at Mingyu questioningly. “Hyung…” Great, Mingyu was making a concerned expression at him now.

Jihoon took a deep breath. He hadn’t realised he had been so absorbed in his inner battle that he had forgotten to breathe.

Once he regained the little composure he had left, he stared at Mingyu, locking their eyes together.

Then, with a nervous gulp, he said the words he never thought he would ever be able to.

“Mingyu, I love you.”


	19. Chapter 19

Mingyu looked at his hyung, mouth agape, mind blank.

What did his hyung say?

_ Mingyu, I love you _ .

“I… I love you too, hyung?” Mingyu said, though it ended more like a question. But the answer was obvious. Of course, he loves his hyung. He loves  _ all _ his hyungs. After all, they were part of Seventeen. 

Jihoon bitterly smiled at him and sighed, choosing the moment to look down at his hands.

“I didn’t mean it in that way, Mingyu. I…” Jihoon paused. Was he really going to do this? Mingyu would never love him as anything more than a brother and a friend. He knew that. 

_ Well, d*mn it. _

He shot his head back up.

“I like you more than a friend. I like you in the same way a woman loves a man. I… I love you like how you love Wonwoo.”

Mingyu froze. He really didn’t know what to say.

Jihoon.  _ Jihoon _ was confessing to  _ him _ .

“Hyung, I… I’m sorry… I —”

“You have a crush on Wonwoo,” Jihoon stated simply. Mingyu nodded, utterly confused at where the conversation was going.  _ If he knew that, then… Why? _

Jihoon gave him a small smile.

“I just wanted you to know about my feelings for you…”

Mingyu looked at him sadly, and as best as he could, he formed a coherent sentence. “I’m sorry, hyung… I… I never looked at you in that way before…”  _ Yes, you have _ . Mingyu ignored the pain in his heart. He loves Wonwoo. Why was he feeling hurt from rejecting Jihoon?

Jihoon visibly winced at the rejection. He supposed it hurt, hearing words of rejection coming out from the mouth of the person you love.

But all he could do was fake another smile.

“I know, Mingyu,” he said. “And that’s why… Give me some time.”

Mingyu stared at his hyung, even more confused now.  _ Time? Time for what? _

“Give me some time and I promise I’ll give up on you.”


	20. Chapter 20

Now, Mingyu was on his chair, frozen on the spot and feeling really really confused. What the freaking h*ll just happened? His mind couldn’t keep up with everything that happened in the morning. It was  _ only  _ morning.

Based on the barely functioning part of his brain, he has concluded that: Firstly, his small hyung had been in love with him since who knows when. Secondly, his hyung was still in love with him despite knowing of his crush on Wonwoo. Thirdly, his hyung is giving up on him. Giving up on his love for him because he knew he wouldn’t love him back. His hyung had always been ready for rejection.

And a sudden thought popped out in Mingyu’s mind.

How long has he been hurting his hyung? He had talked to Jihoon about all his problems regarding Wonwoo. About all his pain of loving someone who would never love him back. And that was the pain Jihoon had felt every time he would talk to the older about Wonwoo.

Mingyu paled. How could his hyung still love him? After all he had done to hurt him…

But Mingyu couldn’t ask any questions now. 

After the huge revelation, Jihoon had gone back to their shared room. And he couldn’t go to his hyung. His feet wouldn’t let him, even though every inch of his being wanted to go comfort his hyung. And… Hearing the muffled sobs, he felt that maybe it was better for him  _ not  _ to go to his hyung. His hyung wouldn’t want to see the person who rejected him anyways. 

But he wanted to go. He really did. 

“Oi, Mingyu!” Soonyoung’s voice filled his ears, causing him to jump up, off the chair he was sitting on.

He glanced at the doorway. Wonwoo and Soonyoung were there, staring at him in concern. Soonyoung looked at Mingyu, his mind processing the scene. Small, violent, Asian kid not found. Empty plates of pancakes. Shocked and worried face of huge puppy. Sobs from room. Untouched plate of panca— Wait. Sobs?  _ Oh sh*t _ .

“I’ll go check up on him,” Soonyoung muttered quietly, his feet quickly taking him to his best friend.

~

_ Thank goodness _ , Mingyu thought.  _ Thank goodness Soonyoung was there to console Jihoon _ .

His thoughts were cut off by Wonwoo. “Why?”

He stared at his crush, brows scrunched in confusion. Wonwoo sighed and looked at him coldly. “Why did you reject him?”

Mingyu opened his mouth, surprised at the sudden question. How did Wonwoo even know about it? “I…” “Jihoon doesn’t deserve that, you know… He loves you a lot,” Wonwoo continued, paying no mind to Mingyu.  _ I know he doesn’t deserve that _ , Mingyu thought guiltily. “That’s —” “And isn’t it obvious you love him too?” “I… What?” 

Mingyu froze.  _ Him _ ? He loves Jihoon?  _ Yes. _ “No, wait! Wonwoo hyung! The person I love is you,” Mingyu exclaimed. And then, he proceeded to clamp his mouth shut and scratch the back of his nape nervously.

He just confessed to Wonwoo. Just brilliant. How did those words come out so easily? All he wanted to do now was to dig a hole and bury himself in it.

But apparently, Jihoon’s courage had been contagious. Mingyu stared straight into Wonwoo’s eyes.

“Hyung, I do love you, you know? Since our trainee days, I’ve always been looking at you,” Mingyu said in a serious tone. “I… I really love you.”  _ But it felt as if he was forcing himself to say so _ .

Wonwoo stared back at the tall tanned man in front of him, undeterred by the confession. Mingyu was definitely not in his right mind. How could he still say he loves Wonwoo? What did Wonwoo ever do for him? Why  _ him _ when the love of his life had been by his side all along? Wonwoo was about to give Mingyu a piece of his mind, and expose Mingyu’s feelings for Jihoon, let the idiot realise his d*mn feelings already. But before he could say anything, a small figure in his peripheral vision caught his eye.

_ Jihoon _ . 

Did he hear Mingyu’s confession?

Wonwoo immediately took a step towards the fellow 96-liner, wanting to clear up whatever misunderstandings this scene might have brought to him. “Hyung?” Mingyu asked, turning back to see where Wonwoo was going. He was expecting an answer to his confession but his crush looked like he had just seen a ghost.

“Jihoonie hyung…” Mingyu mumbled under his breath as he regained his senses.  _ No _ .  _ No. Don’t let me hurt him more than this _ , he thought frantically. Did his hyung hear him?

Oh gosh, how stupid and compulsive was he? Confessing to Wonwoo right after rejecting Jihoon? What was he thinking?

“Oh, sorry to interrupt. I…” Jihoon started, obviously uncomfortable with the scene. He felt tears prickle at the side of his eyes again.  _ No _ .  _ It’s over _ . He inhaled sharply.

Then, he flashed the two a grin.

“Mingyu, I’m going to change roommates for a while, yeah? Hansol agreed that he’d swap with me.” That was a lie. Hansol hadn’t allowed him to do so. He didn’t even know about anything yet, but Jihoon was sure the younger would let him stay with Soonyoung for a while if he asked.

Mingyu felt his heart grow cold. 

_ Give me some time _ . His hyung had said that. But when he thought about it again, how long would that ‘some time’ be? He didn’t want his hyung to leave. He wouldn’t let Jihoon slip away from him again. He wouldn’t let him be so distant.  _ Never again _ .

“No.” Before he knew it, the word already left his mouth.

And that moment, that exact moment, was the time when Mingyu  _ finally _ realised that he had been whipped for his hyung all along.


	21. Chapter 21

“No.”

_ Huh _ ? Jihoon was very confused. On the other hand, Wonwoo was very relieved.  _ Finally _ . That idiot had  _ finally _ realised his feelings for Jihoon. Took him a long time. Now, all that was left to get the two together was for Jihoon to accept his dongsaeng’s suddenly changed feelings.

But of course it wouldn’t be that easy. Jihoon had suffered for a long time due to the idiot’s obliviousness. Why would Mingyu earn everything so easily?

“What the h*ll are you saying, Kim Mingyu?” Jihoon asked softly. Yet, one could still hear the menace and pain in his voice and words. Mingyu flinched at his hyung’s tone. He stared at his crush, no, his ex-crush (or maybe just Wonwoo, because who knows, maybe he never actually had a crush on the older) for help. But of course, Wonwoo, being Wonwoo, merely shrugged.  _ It’s your problem _ , his eyes seemed to say. The glint in the other’s eyes told Mingyu that the older felt that Mingyu deserved this situation though.

Mingyu took a deep breath. “Hyung, hear me out. Please?”

“No. I. Will. Not.” Jihoon stepped towards the younger. Soon, their chests were close to touching. Jihoon jabbed a finger on Mingyu’s chest. “You. You just confessed to Wonwoo. I heard it. With my own two ears. And now… Now you’re not letting me give up on you? What the freaking h*ll do you want?”

“Hyung, listen —”

“No! You listen to me!” Jihoon shouted, enraged. Everything he suffered for the past years. All the times he’d listen painfully to Mingyu about his crush on Wonwoo. All the times he had cried because of the younger. And now, the younger was proclaiming his love for  _ him _ . Jihoon wanted to laugh. Laugh at the absurdity of it all.  _ Did what he go through mean nothing? _

“You hurt me.” He was close to punching Mingyu’s chest by now. “You made me cry.” He was slamming his fists on the younger’s chest. “You… You broke my heart. And now you’re saying you actually love me back? How do you expect me to believe you?” Jihoon was sobbing again now. 

This was too much. 

He’d feel better if his feelings for the younger had gone away right after being rejected. 

He hated this. He hated that he had felt so happy when Mingyu stopped him from changing rooms. He hated that deep inside, he still held on to the hope that Mingyu loved him back. And most of all, what he really hated was that he still loves Mingyu.

Before he knew what was going on, he felt hands on his arms, gently moving his fists away from the younger. And when he looked up, he drowned in the feeling of Mingyu’s lips on his.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At long last, the smol-tol ship was sailing.
> 
> I'm really sorry if the ending is so abrupt... (>.<)  
But I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

_ Peach _ . His hyung tasted like peaches. Which was funny, since they said he resembled one. Mingyu never thought that his first kiss would be in a situation like this though. ‘A situation like this’ referring to kissing his loved one, who he had just found out he loved moments ago, while that loved one was crying because of the stupid things he had done to hurt him. Add in an ex-crush in the room, watching them amusedly with a victorious grin on his face.  _ Yes _ , Mingyu thought as he felt his hyung’s soft lips.  _ This situation wasn’t so bad after all. _

Well, that was what he thought until he heard gasps, which caused Jihoon to move away from him like he was on fire.

Mingyu glared at the intruders, who only looked back at him and Jihoon, whose face was a deep scarlet. 

After 5 minutes of staring at one another, Hansol was the first to break the silence.

“So, you two are together now?” he asked cheekily, a smile on his face.

“Probably?” “No way.”

Mingyu and Jihoon stared at each other. 

“And what makes you think we’re together now, Mingyu?” Jihoon asked, a brow raised upwards. He was desperately trying to keep his head from exploding after the kiss they shared and also trying to keep his heart rate steady. 

As happy as he was to learn that Mingyu might feel the same way as he does, Jihoon was still skeptical and insecure about the whole thing. What if the younger was mistaking his feelings  _ again _ ? What if they dated for a while but Mingyu gets tired and leaves him? What if… There were just so many what ifs and things that could go wrong.

“Umm… Jihoon hyung, you guys just shared a kiss.  _ All  _ of us saw it. Why wouldn’t you two be together?” Chan asked, eyes curious. “I mean, when two people kiss, that means that they love each other, right?”

Seventeen stared at their giant maknae. A moment of silence passed, and then…

“Awww… Our Channie is still so innocent!” Seungkwan exclaimed, pinching their youngest’s cheeks. “Chan, who’s aegi are you?” Jeonghan teased. Chan sighed as his hyungs cooed at him. Was he wrong?

Taking advantage of the distraction, Mingyu silently thanked Chan and pulled Jihoon to their shared room.

~

“Jihoonie hyung,” Mingyu started. Jihoon turned his face away. Why? Just  _ why _ were they in a room  _ alone _ ? His heart couldn’t take this.

“What?” he replied curtly. “Hyung, please look at me.”

Jihoon looked at Mingyu, trying his best to maintain a straight face. “What?” he repeated. 

Mingyu smiled sheepishly and cleared his throat, preparing his on-the-spot speech.

“Okay, umm… Jihoonie hyung, I know that I must have been a huge jerk to you and I probably hurt you a lot? I mean, with all my complaints about my crush on Wonwoo hyung while not knowing how you feel. Listening to me talk about all that must have been… Painful.”

“It’s okay, I didn’t mind,” Jihoon said softly, his previous anger fading away. And he really didn’t mind. He had just wanted to be by the younger’s side. That was all.

Mingyu looked at his hyung, his guilty expression morphing into a frustrated one. “But hyung, I mind! I’ve been hurting you a lot and I didn’t know it till now! And I thought we were close… But in reality, I didn’t know anything about what you felt.” Jihoon jumped slightly at Mingyu’s outburst. He opened his mouth to say something but Mingyu continued. “Hyung, I hate that I hurt you. I hate it so much. I hate that you were always there for me but I was never there for you. I… I’m really sorry, hyung. You’ll probably never forgive me for that, will you?” He ended his speech with a sorrowful chuckle, putting his head into his hands.

Jihoon stared at Mingyu, stunned.  _ Idiot _ .

“Idiot.” Mingyu snapped his head back up at the sound of Jihoon’s quiet voice.

Jihoon looked at Mingyu, eyes soft. “Didn’t I say it before?” Mingyu looked back at Jihoon with a bewildered expression. Jihoon gave him a small smile. 

“I could never hate you, Minggu-ah. And that’s why I’ll forgive you.”

He didn’t expect Mingyu to jump on him.

Mingyu smiled as he nuzzled his hyung’s neck, making Jihoon blush till his ears were red. “Hyung… Really?” Mingyu heard Jihoon’s affirmation, a small ‘Yeah’, and he smiled. “Thank you, hyung. Really,” he said sincerely. He didn’t deserve someone like Jihoon. The fact that Jihoon was willing to give him a second chance, that fact itself, made him feel like the happiest and most blessed man in the world.

Sadly, he was stopped in his antics by none other than Jihoon himself.

“Gyu, to tell you the truth, I’m still kind of insecure about this whole thing. I mean, you just confessed you love Wonwoo and all, and I’m sure you’ve been feeling that way all your life till now. So I can’t really be your boyfriend yet? I’m scared that you’ll be misinterpreting your feelings again and then —” His ramblings were cut off by Mingyu, who was kissing him again. What was it with this guy and kisses?

When they parted, Mingyu smiled happily at his hyung, whose face was again, a scarlet red.

“Hyung, you’re so cute!” “Don’t go changing the subject, Kim Mingyu,” Jihoon huffed. Mingyu merely continued smiling, though it was less bright now.

“Jihoonie hyung,” he started. “I know I hurt you a lot, yet you still forgave me. I’m really grateful for that. That’s why I’ll do my best to treat you right. And I’m willing to wait for you, hyung, because you’ve waited for me for so long. It’s my turn now.”

To say that Jihoon was touched was an understatement.

“Awww, hyung, are you crying?” Mingyu exclaimed, smiling at his hyung’s cuteness. Jihoon rubbed his eyes immediately, hiding his face from Mingyu. “Don’t hide your face from me, hyung,” Mingyu whined as he pulled Jihoon’s arms away from his face. And kissed him yet again.

It was a longer kiss this time, and Jihoon could feel himself go breathless at the intensity of it. He shivered as Mingyu slipped his hand underneath his shirt, and —

There was a flash and Jihoon pulled away from Mingyu immediately.

The two looked at the intruder.

Soonyoung rubbed his nape sheepishly as he hid his phone behind his back.

A moment of silence passed.

“Yah! Kwon Soonyoung! What the h*ll are you taking pictures of?!” Jihoon exploded, hitting Soonyoung repeatedly with a pillow, cheeks flushed.

Soonyoung put his hands up, trying in vain to stop Jihoon from injuring him. “I’m sorry! I’ll delete it now, Jihoonie!”

Jihoon stopped after one last hit on his friend’s head. Soonyoung whipped his phone out from behind him and under Jihoon’s watchful gaze, he deleted the evidence of Jihoon and Mingyu’s intimate acts with each other.

“Anyways, where did you come from, Hoshi hyung?” Mingyu asked, curious. The door was still closed and besides, he had locked it when they entered. He didn’t want anyone disturbing them after all.

Soonyoung smiled devilishly, earning another hit from Jihoon. “Hey!” “You look stupid like that, Soon.” Soonyoung pouted and finally answered Mingyu’s question. “Well… Umm… I was in the closet?”

The soon-to-be couple stared at him like he had grown another head. Feeling somewhat offended at the way they were looking at him, Soonyoung retorted, “I mean, Jihoonie! I was here to comfort you, was I not? Did I ever leave the room?” Realisation dawned on Jihoon. Right, Soonyoung wasn’t there. No wonder it seemed quieter than usual. “Ouch, I’m hurt. My best friend didn’t even notice I wasn’t there,” Soonyoung continued, wiping invisible tears from his face.

Jihoon and Mingyu just stared at him pointedly.

Noticing their silence, Soonyoung sighed. “Aish, fine. I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone,” he said, unlocking the door and preparing to leave the room. Before he closed the door, Soonyoung peeked his head into the room and puckered his lips. “Now then, continue your make-out session, bye bye!”

The pillow Jihoon threw only managed to hit the closed door.

~

“So, how are they?” Wonwoo asked Soonyoung as he left the room. “Well, Wonwoo-ya, all I can say is that we can look forward to the gross public display of affection they’ll be showing us from today onwards.”

Wonwoo grinned at Soonyoung’s response.

At long last, the smol-tol ship was sailing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's THE END!!!  
Thank you to everyone who commented, gave kudos and read this story! I'm really grateful for that because I never thought that anyone would have read this  
So really, thank you to everyone! I wouldn't have been able to continue writing this without your support ^u^  
THANK YOUU!!! \\(^o^)/

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! \\(>.<)/  
I'll try my best to update the story as much as I can but it might not be that possible. Because I'm having exams soon and at the end of the year too... T~T
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading this.
> 
> Please leave some comments, if you want to, and I also welcome any constructive criticism. But if you came here to just blatantly insult my writing without giving any proper feedback, then please just don't bother.
> 
> Have a good day! \\(^u^)/


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